The Forgotten Ones

Chapter 4: Changes

"To say someone is your friend is fashionable now, but they are not your friends until they've proven they are. By giving the title to anyone, you're only deceiving yourself."

-Danielle Peirah

Monday

What do they say? Elias thought. If you don't look, they won't see you? Or if you stand still? Or maybe if you don't breathe...?

The thoughts continued as he approached the bus stop; his eyes narrowing in on the short being with the orange beanie. It's not that he didn't like Sunshine. Well, he didn't hate him. In all honesty, Sunshine seemed nice; the first person he met in the town and that counted for something, no matter how weird their first encounter was. He just didn't feel like putting on a fake smile today.

Before he knew it, Eli was standing beside the group of teens once more. His ears were plugged and he was blasting music as loud as he could get it. His hood was pulled over his head, and he kept his hands in his pockets; just waiting.

When he didn't feel a finger poking at his arm, or someone pulling at his sleeve he began to relax. It's been a week and every single day he came to the bus stop, it was the same thing. Sunshine trying to get his attention in the weirdest of ways. He chuckled as he remembered Sunshine pulling out his earbuds one day just to say "good morning". Eli never wanted to make someone bleed that badly before. That's just something you don't do.

His chuckles faded away as his brows began to furrow. It's been at least five minutes and for some reason the tranquilness bothered him. Something felt off; unbalanced. He was missing something. There wasn't a short boy by his side. There was no rambling; no tugging. The sense of being incomplete over took him and he couldn't help but to glance over at Sunshine.

He was standing still; quiet. He hugged himself with his arms, almost slouching. His head was down; eyes were dull. He looked like a normal teenage boy who would rather be doing anything else than to be going to school. Something was wrong.

As weirdly as it sounded, Eli could tell. Sunshine wasn't the normal type. He'd always shown up with a wide smile on his face, a yip in his step, and just overall looked like he bled rainbows. To see him like this was almost disturbing. Eli shook it off.

We aren't friends. He thought. Why should I care?

  As the bus greeted them, they all took their seats and began the route to Somerset. It was a new day. Well, another day influenced and guided by the  repercussions of the days before.

A new day would be too much to ask for. Elias thought as his fellow classmates surrounded him down the hall on the way to a morning assembly.

"It was another girl?" A brunette asked him, appearing on his left, only to be answered by another student.

"Of course it was another girl. It's La Mort Noire." The short haired, blonde girl rolled her eyes, appearing on his right. "What did she look like? Was she-"

"Strangled." A boy with thin glasses answered, pushing them up, appearing out of nowhere. "Geez, don't any of you guys watch the news?"

"I did. They said she was found right off Kings Avenue." Another girl added. Eli was losing count of how many were entering the crowd.

"Well, how did you find her?" The boy with glasses asked, causing everyone to go silent as their attention set on Elias. He looked at their faces; all contorted in curiosity and confusion. Sighing, he returned his gaze towards the opening of the large gym doors.

"I walked." He said and when everyone raised their brows for him to go on, he shrugged. He didn't know what else they wanted to hear. "I was walking."

When they realized they weren't going to get much from him, the brunette asked. "Were you scared?"